Asheville is an amazing place! For those who love beer, we are known as Beer City because of all of the incredible microbreweries in the area. Downtown Asheville has no shortage of awesome restaurants. We have mountains and beautiful trails galore! We also like bikes and conservation. Which leads me to one common term and one relatively new term (at least for me) that are perhaps at the heart of Asheville. Those words are recycle and upcycle.
Perhaps some of you are wondering if these words hold the same definition. Well, maybe you weren’t wondering … but I was. So I looked them up.
Recycle means to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration; to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form or nature of; to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse. (dictionary.reference.com)
Upcycle means to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce something that is often better than the original. (dictionary.reference.com)
I don’t know if Asheville is anywhere near the recycling capital of the world or anything, but I do know that I am in LOVE with my humongous recycling bins the city provides the residents in my neighborhood! One thing is for sure, Ashevillians love to recycle. There are a plethora of shops in the area that cater to recycled goods and clothing.
However, the movement to take used or waste materials and create something that is an improvement is truly an art form. Amber Hatchett has succeeded in doing just that. Amber is a local artist who makes hip and trendy upcycled jewelry. She takes things like bullet casings, buttons, pocket knives, chandelier crystals, and any other interesting old or discarded item and turns them into these amazing necklaces and earrings! Her chains are actually pieces of different chains that she puts together to make a unique one of a kind chain. I personally love her bracelets! I’m starting a collection of them. She puts together creative configurations and combinations of different links that result in some of the coolest bracelets I’ve ever seen.
We are very proud to carry a large selection of Amber Hatchett one of a kind jewelry here at Wake. So … if you want to increase your hip, cool and trendy factor, stop by and check out our selection of upcycled jewelry! We give you permission to buy yourself a gift! When is the last time you did something nice just for YOU?
See you soon!
